Download - Jefferson's Presidency
Jefferson's Presidency
1800Page 168 Section 3
Privately called his election the “revolution of 1800”
Thought Hamilton and Washington acted like royalty Worked to create a more informal style for presidency
Ex: instead of formal receptions, intimate (friendly) dinners with a circular table
Why might the shape of the table make a difference to Jefferson?
“when brought together in society, all are perfectly equal”
Federalism vs. Anti-Federalism
Jefferson did not overturn all Federalist policies
Worked to integrate (combine) Republican ideas with existing Federalist policies in a few instances
However, Jefferson still hoped to limit federal power
Change Began paying off federal
debts Cut government spending Ended the whiskey tax Planned on shrinking the
army and relying on local militia
How did these changes reflect or reinforce Jefferson and the Democratic-Republican’s anti-federalist beliefs?
Economics Federalists expected that
Jefferson would close the national bank they worked to create
Jefferson named Albert Gallatin Secretary of the Treasury Gallatin supported Hamilton’s
system
Goals of Expansion
Jefferson strongly believed a republic (like the U.S.) would only survive if most people owned land
Led Jefferson to support expanding the country farther west
Causes for Concern 1800 Napoleon Bonaparte struck a deal
with Spain France got the Louisiana territory back in
exchange for helping Spain take control of a part of Italy
Jefferson was concerned because this gave France control of the lower Mississippi He believed this would force U.S. into an
alliance with the British Jefferson “despised”(hated) the British
Pre-Louisiana Purchase In order to avoid an alliance
with Britain, Jefferson tried to block the French and Spanish deal and/or gain concessions
Sent Robert Livingston (a U.S. Ambassador) to Paris, France in 1801
Unsuccessful until 1803, when Napoleon began planning to conquer Europe
Louisiana Purchase In 1803, Napoleon wanted to avoid a
British-American alliance in case France went to war with Britain
Also, France was low on funds Napoleon offered to sell the Louisiana
territory and New Orleans to the U.S. Livingston accepted the deal
immediately
Louisiana Purchase April 30, 1803 U.S. officially bought Louisiana
territory for 11.25 million dollars plus an additional 3.75 million dollars of French debts owed to American citizens equaling 3.75 million Total cost about 15 million
Senate approved basically doubled the size of the United States Also, gave America complete control of the
Mississippi river
Testing our Knowledge
Lewis and Clark Prior to the Louisiana Purchase Jefferson
asked congress to fund a secret expedition into the Louisiana territory
Wanted the explorers to follow the Missouri River and find a route to the Pacific Ocean
After Congress approved the expedition Jefferson selected Meriwether Lewis (Jefferson’s secretary) and William Clark (brother of Revolutionary War hero George Rogers Clark) to head the journey
“Corps of Discovery” Name of the Lewis and Clark expedition During the journey they met
Sacagawea a Shoshone woman who went along as a guide and interpreter
Found a path through the Rocky Mountains and traced the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean
Expedition also gave U.S. claim to the Oregon territory (along the coast)
Sacagawea and York
Sacagawea- served as a guide and interpreter
York -saved Clark’s life after a flash flood in the Missouri River, made several other contributions as well
The Pike Expedition Zebulon Pike –mapped the upper
Mississippi Charted what is now known as Pike’s Peak
in Colorado Mapped part of the Rio Grande Overall, gave detailed description of the
Great Plains and Rocky Mountains
The Essex Junto Louisiana Purchase worried New England
Federalists Region would lose influence in national affairs South and West would gain states giving them
more political power Small group of Federalists known as the Essex
Junto drafted a plan to take New England out of the Union
The Junto persuaded vice president Aaron Burr to run for governor of NY in hopes of expanding their movement
The Duel Burr decided to run During Burr’s Campaign Hamilton called
Burr “a dangerous man, and one who ought not be trusted with the reins of government”
Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel June 11, 1804 the two met
Burr shot Hamilton who died the next day
An Independent Judiciary Towards the end of Adams presidency
Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1801 Created 16 new federal judge positions Adams then appointed Federalist judges to
these positions These judges were called the “midnight
judges” Because Adams stayed up to midnight during
his last day in office signing these appointments
Republican Response Republicans were angry that the
Federalists controlled the courts When Jefferson took office he repealed
the Judiciary Act of 1801 This took away the positions given to the
“midnight judges”
Impeachments Republicans then tried to remove additional
Federalists judges through the process of impeachment
They believed that: the power of impeachment was one of the
checks and balances established in the Constitution
Congress could impeach judges as well as have them removed for “arbitrary”(random or biased) or “unfair” reasons and not just for breaking the law
Precedent 1804 the House of Representatives impeached
Supreme Court Justice, Samuel Chase During one trial he ordered Democratic-Republicans
removed from the jury He spoke badly about Jefferson to another jury However, the Senate did not convict him
A number of senators did not believe he committed “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors” required in the Constitution for his removal
Since Chase was impeached but not convicted, his case determined that future judges could only be removed for criminal acts
Chief Justice John Marshall Adams most significant
judicial appointment Served as Chief Justice 34
years Largely credited for making
the Supreme Court a major branch of the federal government Largely through the case
Marbury vs. Madison
Marbury vs. Madison (Background)
William Marbury (Federalist) was appointed by John Adams who signed his commission and sealed it with the official government seal the last night of his presidency
However, it had been left for the next secretary of state (James Madison) to deliver Newly elected President Jefferson told Madison
not to deliver it Marbury sued for his commission as a
Justice of the Peace based of off a part of the Judiciary Act of 1789
Marbury vs. Madison (Ruling)
“Requests for federal court orders go directly to the Supreme Court” Marbury asked the court to “issue a court order”
forcing Madison to deliver the documents Court declared that this portion of the Judiciary
Act of 1789 was unconstitutional (now invalid) Directly goes against a portion of the Constitution Constitution does not state that court orders are a
type of case that goes directly to the Supreme Court This marked the first time Judicial Review was
used by the Supreme Court
Marbury vs. Madison (Results) Madison did not have to deliver the
commission to Marbury But more importantly, the Supreme
Court established their power to determine whether a law is constitutional If not constitutional they can “strike it
down” (end that law)
Pirates
The Barbary States
The Barbary Pirates Jefferson had to deal with pirates raiding
American ships in the Mediterranean These acts of piracy were state-sponsored
by Barbary States along the Northern Coast of Africa (Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, & Tripoli)
European countries paid “tribute” (bribes) to these Barbary States In exchange the pirates would leave their
ships alone Thought it was less expensive than fighting
Barbary Pirates 1795, U.S. paid almost one-million dollars to the
leader of Algiers to release one ship with its crew
Jefferson had enough of this before becoming president
He refused any more payments Tripoli declared war on U.S. in 1801 Jefferson sent some of the navy to the
Mediterranean region Marks the first foreign military conflict in U.S. history
Military success 1805, America had posed a legitimate
threat of a coup (rebellion) within Tripoli The government in Tripoli backed off America no longer had to pay tribute after
another military conflict between the U.S. and the Barbary States in 1815
“Economic Warfare” 1803 Napoleon’s armies were at war with
Britain (again) Good for U.S. merchants at first
Traded with French Colonies since French ships were being attacked by British Navy
U.S. claimed neutrality and Britain left U.S. ships alone until…
1806 Britain issued the Orders in Council All ships going to Europe must have British licenses
and would be searched for contraband (illegal imports)
Napoleon’s Response Anybody who follows Britain’s shipping
regulations will have their goods (on their ships) confiscated by the French
Lose- Lose situation for American Merchants
America not Impressed British navy short on men
low pay and poor conditions British sailors often escaped to American ships Britain attempted to solve their shrinking navy
through impressment : A legalized form of kidnapping that forced people into
military service Britain stopped American ships and searched
for deserters(runaways), often taking American citizens also
Final Straw June 1807 British warship called the
Leopard stopped an American warship called the Chesapeake
British searching for deserters U.S. captain refused to cooperate British opened fire killing three
Americans U.S. surrendered and the British took
four U.S. soldiers
The Embargo Act 1807 U.S. press now spoke of war In hopes of avoiding war, Jefferson urged
congress to pass the Embargo Act 1807 Embargo- government forbids trade with
another country/countries This act hurt the U.S. more than Britain or
France Northeast-shipping business halted South and West-demand for their crops
dropped dramatically
Repeal In March 1809, Towards the end of Jefferson’s
second term , congress repealed the Embargo Act of 1807
This embargo made Jefferson’s popularity plummet Jefferson returned to Monticello, his estate in
Virginia after completing his second term as president Succeeded in limiting some of the powers of the
federal government More than Doubled the size of the U.S. with the
Louisiana Purchase
Monticello
